Classification of Antique Grandfather Clocks

There are components based on which antique grandfather clocks are divided into several categories. However, broadly there are only two major types in the forms of Comtoise and Bornholm grandfather clocks. Subsequent customizations and modifications of this two parent designs have led to further breaking down into smaller sub categories.

Comtoise- The name is derived from the place of origin, the French town of Franche- Compte. Locally they are also known as Morez or the Morbier. Apart from France, they can also be widely found in Spain, Germany and different other parts of Europe as well.

The production of such models began in the middle of the sixteenth century around the 1680s, but it reached its peak in terms of popularity and mass preference around the late 1800s. During that period, the overall yearly production was as high as over sixty thousand models every twelve months. They can mainly be distinguished based on its unique style as well as design that use an array of curved lines. A long, heavy ornamented pendulum extends up its case and a wooden base protects the metallic mechanism beyond.

Bornholm- This category of models comes in the form of tall wooden boxes. These are Danish models that originated in Bornholm, a small Danish island near the Baltic Sea. They are comparatively newer designs compared to that of the Comptoise models. They are pendulum based clocks which were made from the mid 1700s to the late 1900s. However, their popularity have intensified over the last few decades of the 20th century.

The antique grandfather clocks can further be divided into 2 smaller sub categories namely 30 hour and 8 hour clocks based on how long it would last on winding once.